Tandem Skydiving: What to Expect on your First Jump

We have a little secret we'd like to let you in on: Tandem skydiving is easier than you think! It's especially smooth if you know what to expect (and you come prepared with some skydiving tips to optimize the process), so we're here to help walk you, dear first time jumper, through the process of that first jump.

Step #1: Before You Book

Do yourself a favor: take five minutes and give the FAQ a quick read-through. It'll cover some preliminary questions about pets, food, skydiving weight limits, skydiving age limits, wardrobe, etc. Super-helpful stuff!

Step #2: When You Arrive

You'll stride up to the counter to sign in and complete your waiver and weigh-in. Easy-peasy!

You'll have a couple of decisions to make at this point. The big one for most of our customers is the big video question: skydiving video or no skydiving video? Most of our customers recognize what a big deal it is to have this landmark moment caught on camera--and those who decide against it are, one hundred percent of the time, disappointed in their choice after they land. (Can't say we didn't warn you!)

Step #3: Training

Make no mistake: Skydiving ain't no rollercoaster. When you make a tandem skydive with us, you'll be doing so as a student, not a passenger. As such, you'll receive a short training briefing covering the equipment and procedures we'll be using together before we help you gear up. Our training is thorough, interesting and--dare we say it--fun!

Step #4: Hanging out

When training is complete, we'll ask you to make yourselves comfortable until your "load" (the airplane upon which you are manifested) is almost ready to go.

Here's a really important skydiving tip that we wish everyone had before arriving for their jump with us: hanging out on the DZ is going to be a thing. In fact, you can consider it an essential part of any skydiving experience. That's because the weather plays such a central role in what we do. In order to jump safely, we have to observe certain parameters regarding cloud and wind. We have a sterling safety record, and we intend to keep it that way. Waiting for the best weather may get on everyone's nerves after a while, but it lets us keep our students and our tandem instructors out of the hospital!

Take heed, though: there's an off-label benefit to waiting on the weather. Our incredibly tight, ridiculously fun skydiving community was built right here on the ground, over the course of many combined years of waiting for a cloud to blow by or watching a thrashing wind sock quiet down. As you wait, enjoy it! Bring toys to pass the time: board games, a frisbee, a pair of binoculars, a book... Then ignore them all to enjoy the conversation.

When your boarding time is imminent, we'll help you kit up into the tandem student harness. This is selfie time!

Step #5: Going Up in the Plane

Here it is, y'all: Skydiving planes are small. That might surprise you, if all you've ever been in is a jetliner. Don't let it make you nervous! Enjoy the novelty of close-up pilot-watching; of a 360-degree view; of sitting on the floor in an airplane. (On long-haul flights, we skydivers always wish we could sit on the floor in a big airplane. How much more comfortable would that be?!)

Step #6: Jumping

Here it is! Your big moment!

Since you will have been thoroughly briefed at this point, exiting the aircraft will be easy as pie. From there, it'll be as simple as enjoying that sweet "floating" feeling, checking out the majestic Ozark view and smiling at the camera.

Step #7: Enjoy the parachute ride to the ground

After your tandem instructor deploys your "team parachute," you'll get to experience the wonder that is the modern ram-air canopy. A far cry from the round parachutes of yesteryear, modern skydiving equipment is steerable, agile and fun to fly around underneath. Ask your instructor to show you her/his favorite moves. S/he'll be happy to!

Finally, you'll land. Just like an aircraft, you and your instructor will fly a "pattern" in to a beautiful, soft spot landing in the middle of our grassy landing field. If you have friends on the ground, they'll be waiting for you with cameras flashing and high-fives flurrying!

Step #8: Bring your whole tribe out for your second jump!

Once you've made a skydive with Ozarks Skydive Center, you'll be wild-eyed to get all your friends in on the magic. Everybody is!

Ozarks Skydive Center prides itself on delivering the best skydiving experience possible. We have been serving the Missouri skydiving community since 2012 and have earned a top-shelf reputation in just a few short years. We work hard to make sure that all of our guests to have a truly great experience, and we're looking forward to counting you among our rad, ever-expanding "skyfamily." See you soon!